The Holy Piby by Robert Athlyi Rogers, first published in the 1920s, is a foundational text of Afrocentric spirituality and one of the earliest works to shape the Rastafarian movement. Written as a "Black Man's Bible," the book presents a radical theological vision that centers the divinity, dignity, and destiny of people of African descent.
Rogers crafted The Holy Piby as a sacred text of liberation-calling on Africans and the African diaspora to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identity apart from colonial and Eurocentric religious structures. Through allegory, prophecy, and exhortation, the work celebrates Ethiopia as a symbol of African pride and divine origin, proclaiming the unity of Black people under God's purpose.
Long suppressed by colonial authorities for its revolutionary message, The Holy Piby remains a cornerstone of Pan-African and Rastafarian thought. It continues to inspire readers as a declaration of faith, empowerment, and resistance against oppression.